Box-fastener.



J. P. FRITZ.

BOX FASTENER.

APPLIOATION FILED DEG.15,1909.

95%,9 1 6w Patented May 24, 1910.

E WITNESSES:

c. I NDREW u GMHAM co, PNOTO-UTNOGRAPHERS.WASHWGTON- D A I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN P. FRITZ, F PATERSON, NEW JERSEY.

BOX-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters iatent.

Patented May 24, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN P. FRITZ, a citizen of the United States, residing in Paterson, Passaic county, New Jersey, have 1nvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Box-Fasteners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a device for opening cigar-boxes and the like which, besides being an eflicient accessory to the box for that purpose, may also serve as an advertising medium.

The invention consists in providing a box, such as a cigar box, whose lid is held closed by a nail or the like, with a stiff but flexible strip or tab, preferably of sheet metal, which is penetrated by the nail and is bent sharply and preferably back upon itself in proximity to the nail, whereby to facilitate the operation of opening the box.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is an isometric view of a cigar box provided with the improvement; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the body of the box and its lid, a fragment of each of which only is shown, the opening device and the nail appearing in side elevation; Fig. 3 shows the box and its lid substantially as they appear in Fig. 2, the tab and nail appearing in side elevation in the positions occupied thereby after the nail has been driven but before the tab is folded back over the box; and, Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 or Fig. 3, a modification being illustrated.

a designates an ordinary cigar box having the cover I) hinged thereto in the ordinary manner and provided with a nail or the like 0 which, when driven through the free edge of the cover into the corresponding or front wall cl of the body of the box, holds the cover or lid closed.

6 is a strip or tab of sheet metal, the same having substantially the shape of a cigar or other fanciful form, it being preferably elongated and somewhat sharp at one end f and cut off square at the other, g. If desired, said strip or tab may be embossed or otherwise treated to make it more perfectly simulate the cigar or other object it represents and be provided with printed or other matter serving to make it a medium of advertisement.

When the box a has been filled and its cover closed the tab is laid over the free edge of the cover at the point where it is to be secured by the nail c, the buttor square end 9 of the tab overlapping said edge of the cover and the tab projecting outwardly, as shown in Fig. 3. The nail is then driven through the butt end of the tab in the regular way, securing the cover in place. Then the tab is bent back into the position shown in Fig. 1, lying flat against the cover; it may be bent down flat against the front face of the box, but it is preferable to dispose it as shown in Fig. 1 as that is the best position to avoid undue waste of space when several of the boxes are packed together.

In openin the box, the tab is bent up into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2; a pull is then exerted upon it in the direction of the arrow in said figure, whereby the nail will be drawn. When the stamps or labels as are then out (which may be accomplished by the sharpened end 7' of the tab), the cover will be free to open. The tab may then be discarded, serving as a further medium of advertisement. The angular formation which the tab has where originally bent back, at y, is useful in insuring a straight pull on (without tendency to bend) the nail materially, so that it is withdrawn from the wood more freely.

In Fig. 4:, the butt-end of the tab is introduced under the free edge of the lid or cover, whereupon the nail is driven through it as well as through the cover and into the body of the box, the tab being then bent back flat against the cover; here, it is the tab, i the cover of the box, j the nail and 7c the box body. In this case when the box is opened, the pull exerted on the tab for that purpose may break the stamps, or the stamps may be previously cut by any suitable implement; the tab remains attached to the box as well as the nail, the latter remaining useful to keep the box tightly closed and the tab for opening the box when necessary.

The angular formation of the tab adjacent to the nail (Fig. a) insures a straight pull being exerted by the tab in opening the box, thereby facilitating the Withdrawal of the nail the same as in the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. The combination, wit-h the bod of the box, its cover, and a withdrawab e cover securing device penetrating the cover and extending into the body of the box, of a flexible tab formed of sheet material having one end penetrated by the securing device and being bent sharply in proximity to the securing device, said tab affording means for withdrawing the securing device from the body of the box,v substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the body of the box, its cover, and a withdrawable headed cover-securing device penetrating the cover and extending into the body of the box, of a flexible tab formed of stiff sheet material having one end penetrated by the securing device between the head of the latter and the cover of the box and being bent sharpl in proximity to the securing device, said tab aifording means for Withdrawing the securing device from the body of the box, substantially as described.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of December, 1909.

JOHN P. FRITZ.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. STEWARD, WM. D. BELL. 

